Oracle opens up to SAP

Oracle’s next generation of products will be interoperable with SAP and other competitors, according to a senior executive from the company.

Oracle’s next generation of products will be interoperable with SAP and other competitors, according to a senior executive from the company. “We’re aiming to create a level playing field with Fusion Middleware [Oracle’s new product range], where users can run several applications which interact, including products from SAP,” said Andrew Sutherland, Oracle’s vice president for technology within Europe, the Middle East and Africa, speaking at an event in Dubai. He said the Fusion Middleware architecture would be based around open standards, which would allow its users to pick and choose applications and middleware modules from any vendor which adhered to the standards. Sutherland acknowledged this would allow customers to pick ‘best of breed’ solutions ahead of Oracle’s offerings, but said the firm was ready to take on the challenge. “Yes, it will be possible for our customers to move away from Oracle, but we’re hoping the reverse will be true,” he said. “We’re aiming to offer a completely comprehensive range of products, and we’ll be working to make sure our applications are best of breed, so we hope to win on both fronts.” Around 200 users and partners attended the road show event in Dubai’s JW Marriott hotel, where Oracle executives gave a series of presentations about Fusion Middleware. The new suite aims to address criticism about Oracle’s commitment to integrate its large number of recent acquisitions, such as PeopleSoft and Siebel. Fusion Middleware, based around an open, modular framework, will allow users to integrate existing systems and bring in new components with ease. Customers will be able to migrate to the new products from 2008, although the firm has promised lifetime basic support for users of existing products from Oracle or its acquisitions.